UCONN WOMEN: Nations best square off Saturday

Connecticut's Breanna Stewart (30) goes up for a basket while guarded by Hartford's Christie Michals (4) during the second half of an NCAA women's college basketball game in West Hartford, Conn., Saturday, Dec. 22, 2012. Stewart was top scorer for Connecticut with 27 points in their 102-45 win over Hartford. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

PALO ALTO, Calif. >> Don't even try to ask Kelly Faris to reflect on the pride she may feel of being UConn's leading scorer the last time the Huskies ventured out to Maples Pavilion.

Even two years later it is easy to hear the disgust in Faris' voice when she recalls the 71-59 loss to Stanford on Dec. 30, 2010. It wasn't even that the Huskies saw their NCAA Division I record 90-game losing streak end on Stanford's home court as much as the way Faris felt the Huskies wilted in the later stages of the game.

When Maya Moore drained a 3-pointer to pull the Huskies within four points, there was still some hope that UConn could return home with an unblemished record. However, Stanford scored seven points in a 55-second span to reestablish control of the game. When the lead was whittled back down to six, it pains Faris to recall how Stanford ended the contest by scoring eight of the last 10 points leading to a delirious eruption of emotion as the clock hit 0:00 shortly after Faris' wayward final shot was corralled by Jeanette Pohlen.

"Any loss is going to be frustrating and stick with you," said Faris, who had a team-high 19 points in the game. "But at that point it was definitely a hard one because everybody thought that we were unstoppable. So I think it was good for us at that point. It kind of opened our eyes and showed us some things that we needed to work on. With me, being my senior year and we're coming back, I definitely want to leave here with a different feeling and a lot better record."

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So much has changed since that game. Moore is now playing professionally as is Stanford's trio of WNBA first-round picks Pohlen, Kayla Pedersen and Nneka Ogwumike who combined for 51 points and 26 rebounds in that historic contest. The rankings also tell a different story. Now it is Stanford holding down the No. 1 spot with UConn checking in at No. 2.

While Faris and her veteran teammates are eager for retribution, the Stanford players who took part in the game are eager to prove that they are indeed the nation's best team.

"It was such an electric experience and to be a sophomore out there it was great," said Stanford senior forward Joslyn Tinkle. "We were very prepared, Coach (VanDerveer) did a very good job and as players and teammates we did a good job of preparing and focusing and really knowing what we needed to do to win and be successful. I think about two years ago and what we did; it was really a group effort. It motivates us and it has helped myself, Chiney (Ogwumike) and Mikaela (Ruef) and I who were there a couple of years ago kind of lead the pack for the younger kids who haven't experienced that yet and really didn't know what it was like.

"There are people who think they (UConn) shouldn't be (ranked second) and should be in the situation we are. We try to avoid that and keep our minds clear of that because we now what we are capable of. It doesn't really change things for us. The target on our backs is growing bigger and bigger. People want what we have and we are willing to do whatever it takes to remain No. 1 and keep that target on our back. I think it is going to be a great game, they are a fantastic team. It is going to come down to whose will is bigger to win and we hope it is ours."

The Huskies have arrived in California with not nearly the same amount of fanfare as they did back in 2010. Perhaps it is because the only winning streak on the line is Stanford's 82-game home winning streak or the country has yet to be captivated by a fairly young UConn team, but Auriemma is not complaining that there is no circus type of atmosphere surrounding his squad on this trip out to California. It may also help that the Huskies have an extra day to wipe away any lingering jet lag on the coast to coast trip this time around.

"When we came out here (in 2010) we got out here on the 26th and played on the 28th and 30th," Auriemma said. "We didn't really have to time that you would like but this gives us a little more time maybe. I don't know if it makes a big difference or a little difference, I don't know. It doesn't feel as rushed. Last time we got here, we practiced we played Pacific right away, then we came here and we played plus the streak and all that stuff we are dealing with, there just seemed to be a frenzy about it that I don't sense at all."